The Flurry and The Key
by Hidden Guardian
Summary: MUSICAL MEME! Ten shorts about Axel and Roxas both before, during, and after the events of KHII. Not particularly inspired and a little drabble-like, but it was fun to write. AkuRoku and friendship both.


**RULES ****OF ****THE ****MUSICAL ****MEME**** (****borrowed ****from ****Piratedolliebaby's ****MarVex ****Memes****):**

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

_**Songs:**_

_1. "This Time Imperfect" - AFI_

_2. "Field of Innocence" - Evanescence_

_3. "Poison" - Alice Cooper_

_4. "Welcome to my Life" - Simple Plan_

_5. "Hero" - Nickelback_

_6. "Memory" - Sugarcult_

_7. "Scars" - Papa Roach_

_8. "Standing at the Edge of the Earth" - Blesses Union of Souls_

_9. "Girl Next Door" - Saving Jane_

_10. "Let Me Go" - 3 Doors Down_

**Only one of these - "Hero" - isn't really AkuRoku. Just hinted. Still…. Some angst, some romance, some general, some suggestive…. A little bit of everything! Even an AU!**

**I obviously don't own any Kingdom Hearts characters, or the songs.**

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"**THIS TIME IMPERFECT" - AFI**

Axel could feel his energy flowing away, and when he looked down at his spiritual body it was less solid than it had been just a few seconds ago. But he could see light up ahead and he knew that it couldn't be Heaven or anything so 'sacred'. Nobodies didn't have hearts to judge at the Pearly Gates.

He followed the light and it seemed to surround him, swelling to an almost painful whiteness until it faded to the oranges, yellows, and pinks of the sunset sky in Twilight Town. He chuckled. Oh the irony. This was where he had killed Vexen for threatening Roxas. Where he had threatened Roxas. Where Roxas had tried to kill him.

Axel flew over buildings, seeing those teenagers Roxas liked so much, and up to the clock-tower where he sat on the edge overlooking the city.

"Axel?"

He didn't have to turn around to know who was walking up behind him. "Hey, Roxy. Come to say goodbye?"

"How could you do something so stupid?!" the blond demanded, sitting down next to him. "You had to know that you were going to die!"

Axel shrugged. "This Sora… he's not a bad kid. A worthy Somebody for my best friend. I had to help him."

"And?"

"I already said it, didn't I? I wanted to see you again."

"Well… here I am."

Axel grinned. "Yeah."

"**FIELD OF INNOCENCE" - Evanescence**

Roxas sat - if that was the way to describe it - on top of Memory Skyscraper in **Sora**'s memory. He ran his hand over the cold stone, slowly, feeling it underneath his fingertips. It wasn't any colder than he was, though. He was shivering as he pulled his knees up to his chest.

He should have known, really. He was never meant to exist, just like Naminè said. Nobodies _were_ destined to fade back into the darkness. Axel, his best friend, was gone. Axel, his best friend, had died protecting **Sora**.

It was a betrayal that ripped at his soul. Axel had tried to kill him, had been more willing to see Roxas dead than to let him remain in the virtual Twilight Town… where he'd been happy. But his happiness there had been a lie, hadn't it? None of it was real.

Hayner, Pence, and Ollette were Sora's friends now. Just like everyone else. Everyone loved **Sora**.

Even Axel, apparently.

He shuddered and squeezed his knees tighter. He had been so jealous of the brunet boy in his dreams. He had good friends. Riku. Kairi.

Roxas had thought he had Naminè and Axel.

But Naminè only liked him because Kairi liked **Sora**. And Axel! Axel had been threatened with death by the Organization and had chosen to kill Roxas instead. Axel had been threatened with death by the Nobodies in Betwixt and Between, and he had died. Protecting **Sora**.

"**POISON" - Alice Cooper**

Roxas blushed as he felt VIII sliding a hand up the back of his thigh and over his butt. He was standing there, in front of the entire fucking Organization!, while Xemnas introduced him!, and the redhead standing behind him was molesting him.

He turned to give the man - "Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" - his most heated death glare only to receive a cocky smirk in return. Apparently, the fact that the pink-haired one was giggling like a demon and the bluenette looked ready to hack them both into pieces didn't bother him at all.

Xemmas droned on, unaware of what was getting such a reaction from his followers. Or uncaring. Probably that.

"What are you doing?!" Roxas hissed.

Axel's grin just got wider. "What can I say? You're a cute little thing. It's hard to resist the urge to throw you down right here and now and have my way with you."

Roxas turned as red as Axel's hair and Marluxia's laughter got louder, drawing the attention of Xigbar, who raised an eyebrow then cracked up.

"What **is** going on?" Xemnas demanded finally. "Axel?!"

"Giving Blondie a nice welcome, that's all!"

Marluxia slipped out of his tall chair.

"**WELCOME TO MY LIFE" - Simple Plan**

Roxas glared at Axel across the charred battlefield of the basement of the Old Mansion, chest still heaving from the adrenaline of going head-to-head with his best friend. "Why are you doing this, Axel?" he breathed, barely loud enough to be heard.

"You're the one who left, Roxas! I'm just trying to bring you **home**!"

"Home? Before you showed up, **this** was my home! I was happy!"

"You were living a lie, Roxas!" Axel argued, trying to get the blond to see reason. "This is what's real! I'm your best friend! We were always together! Then you abandoned me because of that stupid Keyblade!"

"If I chose to do so, it was my decision!" Roxas countered. "You didn't - and **don't** - have any right to decide what I do or don't do! You have no idea what it's like having your life, the one you were happy with, ripped apart by someone who _claims_ he's doing it for your own good!"

"Everything I've done has been for you, Roxas!"

"I never asked you to," he said, coldly.

Axel felt his non-existent heart ripping in half. "Roxas-."

"You ruined everything! I had a good life and best friends and you took them away from me!"

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, _Roxas_. I would have no idea what that's like."

"**HERO" - Nickelback**

Roxas stared into the face shaded by the pale egg-like case, so hauntingly similar to his own. This was him. This was "Sora", the boy from his dreams. This was who he truly was. And now… he was supposed to die so that Sora could be… what, reborn?

Naminè's words haunted him. Nobodies aren't supposed to exist. Even that hateful man in red had seemed to think that it was only _natural_ that Roxas should disappear for Sora to live. After all, unlike this perfect Sora, Roxas was an incomplete creature, something without a heart.

So why did his chest ache like fire at the thought of never seeing Hayner, Pence, or Ollette again? Or never seeing Axel again…. God, he should have listened to him! Axel really **had** been trying to save him, hadn't he?

"You're lucky," Roxas murmured, staring into those closed eyes. "Sora" could probably feel whatever he wanted without anyone trying to tell him it was an illusion or that he wasn't meant to exist. But whenever Roxas tried to feel, it wasn't real.

He let his eyes slip shut in a long blink. He had no choice though, did he? Naminè was gone. Axel was gone. His friends couldn't see him. And those two - the man in the cloak like Axel's and the one cloaked in red - would never stop chasing him.

Roxas swallowed, the dreams running through his head top speed. '_Sora…__.__'_ "Looks like my summer vacation is… over."

"**MEMORY" - Sugarcult**

Roxas watched from inside Sora's mind as the brunet sparred with his silver-haired best friend, both laughing like children in the crashing waves on the shore of Destiny Island. He couldn't help but smile. Those two were such great friends. His memories were still a little foggy - especially about things that had happened during his time with Organization XIII - but he hoped that he and Axel had been friends like that. Weren't they 'best' friends?

He thought back to his words to Naminè atop the collapsing building inside Kingdom Hearts. _"I see myself the way you remember me__. __And y__ou __see __yourself __the __way __I __remember __you__.__'_

Maybe the truth about his friendship with Axel wasn't what was important.

The truth about their friendship was that Roxas had left the Organization despite how much it hurt his dear friend. That Xemnas had given Axel the mission to destroy his once good friend. That Roxas had stubbornly refused to listen to Axel. That - despite all of that - Axel had betrayed the Organization for just the chance of seeing Roxas again.

If he and Naminè changed to fit each other's memories, then why couldn't his friendship with Axel change to fit his since he was the only one left to remember? Let's see…. Well, Axel had been his best friend for at least half a year. Had missed him when he left. Had done his damnedest to get Roxas to come back. Had stood up to DiZ/Ansem/whoever to protect Roxas. And had betrayed the Organization just for the chance of seeing Roxas again.

Hey, no one said the truth was all painful.

Roxas grinned, watching Riku throw Way to Dawn aside and tackle Sora into the water. (("Cheater!" the brunet shrieked.)) Yes… his memories told him that Axel was definitely his best friend.

"**SCARS" - Papa Roach**

Axel sighed as he watched Roxas walk away without even looking back once. Apparently he hadn't heard him… or didn't care. After all, Axel was always the one putting the most effort into their friendship. Or _whatever_ it was they had that allowed Roxas to turn his stomach into a pillow when the two crashed in Axel's room at two in the non-existent morning.

He ran a hand through his spiky red hair and turned, trudging back through the dark city towards the floating castle that served as the Organization's base. He just knew Xemnas would blow a gasket when he found out Roxas had just walked away, and he would probably blame Axel for it, too. He kind of blamed Axel for _everything_ after the redhead was the only one to return from Castle Oblivion alive.

Okay, so maybe what happened there _was_ kind of his fault. Still!

"Hey, Axel!" Demyx greeted happily, bouncing up to his fellow Organization member with a whiskey bottle in his hand as soon as Axel got inside. "Where's Roxas?"

"Dunno. Went for a walk or something," Axel lied smoothly. No point in spilling the beans to a loud-mouth like Demyx until he figured out his story, some nice way to sugarcoat it where Xemnas wouldn't immediately order Roxas returned or destroyed. He didn't have high hopes of that happening period, though.

VIII reached out and snatched the bottle out of the Nocturne's hands and took a long swig of it, feeling the pleasant burn of alcohol down the back of his throat. This was just like the blonds in the Organization, really. Making a mess and leaving Axel to clean it up. Like that cocky bastard Vexen. Or that sadistic chit Larxene. Or Naminè (not a member but still his problem in the end).

And, of course, every last bit of that had been for Roxas, too.

Axel took another drink then shoved the bottle into IX's hands. "Gotta talk to Mansex." He opened a swirling black portal into the huge meeting room and stepped through, interrupting a quiet conversation between Xemnas, Saïx, and Xaldin.

"Superior, Number XIII has gone missing."

"**STANDING AT THE EDGE OF THE EARTH" - Blessed Union of Souls**

Axel let out a contented sigh when he found himself still sitting atop the clock tower in Twilight Town after Roxas had left with a single teardrop that had turned into a heart… possibly signifying hope for the two of them someday, somehow.

It only figured that this would be where his soul - did Nobodies have souls if they didn't have hearts? - went after he died. After all, this was where he and Roxas had formed the bond between them that had been the basis of the Flurry of Dancing Flame's entire existence for the past couple of _years__. _He chuckled, staring out into the eternal sunset. Red. Just like he'd told Roxas that day.

He leaned back and pulled another Sea-Salt Ice Cream from inside his trench coat. He wasn't sure how they got there, exactly, but it just kind of made sense that they _would_ be there. He popped the blue treat into his mouth. Bah! Still too salty, but Roxas loved the damn things.

Axel wondered what the chances of Roxas finding his way to that tower with him really were. It would be nice if he and Roxas could keep their promise to meet again in the next life. And Roxas thought he would be the one stuck waiting!

But while he waited, he had a pretty nice view and endless popsicles. It could have been worse.

"**GIRL NEXT DOOR" - Saving Jane ((Yes, this is the AU))**

Roxas for the life of him couldn't figure out why exactly the loud redhead living across the street was so obsessed with him. But even when he did something as boring as walking to the mailbox, he could feel those green eyes practically eating him alive.

Sure enough, the blond turned towards the white house and saw Axel Flurry watching him hungrily from his living room window.

Roxas chuckled, flipped him off, and mouthed 'pedophile' as clearly as he could before turning around and going back to the porch.

His twin brother, Sora, was sprawled on the porch swing purring like a cat while his boyfriend, Riku, stroked his spiky hair. Roxas always felt like he was nothing compared to 'perfect' Sora.

Sora got straight A's; Roxas could barely pass chemistry. Sora had a million friends, all of whom their parents liked; Roxas wasn't allowed to bring his only friends Zexion, Naminè, or Demyx anywhere near the house. Sora had a super-hot, super-popular boyfriend. Roxas had an overage stalker living across the street.

"Was he watching you again?" Sora asked, opening one big blue eye and pouting. Sora always asked about the Axel's habit of staring at Roxas. After all, the redhead completely ignored Sora.

Roxas grinned. "Why, Gumdrop?" he asked, pulling out Sora's hated childhood nickname. "Jealous?"

Sora let out an offended squeak, stood up, and stormed into the house. Riku rolled his eyes, sighed, and went to soothe his ruffled feathers.

Roxas couldn't help it. He glanced across the street to see if Axel Flurry had seen.

Sure enough, the redhead was. His grin was definitely approving.

"**LET ME GO" - 3 Doors Down**

Roxas reached back and flipped the dark hood over his head, hiding the spiky blond hair that would have made him stand out like a light bulb in the shadows. He could still since Axel standing behind him, whole form twisted into a good imitation of abandonment.

He wanted to give up this crazy idea of leaving the Organization. He wanted to go back to Axel and snuggle into his chest, tell him he was just kidding, and let the redhead kiss him breathless before taking him back to the castle.

But he also had to find out why the Keyblade chose him. Something told him the reason was the most important thing in the world, but if anyone knew they weren't telling.

He could still hear the echo of his and Axel's words. _"No __one __would __miss __me__.__"__"That's __not __true__! __I __would__.__"_

… It was probably a lie anyway. Nobodies couldn't feel, right? Even though Axel had told Roxas a couple dozen times that he loved him, if Nobodies didn't have hearts, they couldn't love either.

"Roxas, please don't go!" Axel called out in one final attempt to stop him. "Don't leave me!"

XIII felt a shiver rush across his chest outward from where his heart should have been. "I'm going, Axel!" he stated firmly. "If no one here can answer my questions, I'll just have to find someone who can."

"Then take me with you!"

The blond clenched his jaw tight, summoned his twin Keyblades to his hand, and kept walking. "Sorry, Axel," he whispered before he started running through the dark alleys, determined not to be caught.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Well, that's it, people! Ten memes! Click on that little box and shoot me a review to tell me which one you like best! I'm already seeing a possible future one-shot based on the ninth (the AU).**


End file.
